Aren’t you tired of hearing tales about college life from your parents, teachers and admissions counselors? (Do they even remember college?!) Well, we are too. That’s why we love talking to current students—dancing in colleges across the country—about what their life is really like.

Here, Amara Warrington, a senior dance major at University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA, tells Dance Spirit why she chose her college and what she experienced when she got there:

“Most liberal arts colleges have dance programs that focus on ballet or modern. But jazz is my favorite style, so I chose to go to a conservatory. At University of the Arts, I have the opportunity to declare a concentration in jazz dance performance. The concentration requires that I take tap, and I also get to take electives in hip hop and partnering.

“Even though dance is such a competitive field, I’ve met so many dancers at UArts (from so many different places!) who are extremely supportive of one another. One of the best aspects of UArts is that we’re all passionate about the same thing, and that helps us build a great community.

“After graduation, I’d like to move out to California because I’m interested in doing commercial work. Auditioning for a cruise line would be a great experience because it would require a different kind of performance than I’m used to. I’d love that challenge, and it would help me be a more versatile dancer."